The present invention relates to secondary packaging, i.e. packaging used in order to contain packaging containers during transport or storage.
When a product is packaged in packaging containers for further delivery within a value chain it is common practice to arrange the packaging containers in some sort of secondary packaging. This secondary packaging may consist of a cardboard box, a tray, a dispenser box or simply a plastic bag.
The present disclosure relates to secondary packaging particularly well suited to contain packaging containers in the form of bottles or bottle like packaging containers. The bottles may be regular plastic bottles, glass bottles or carton bottles, referred to as “primary packages”. “Carton bottles” may be used to describe a packaging container having the overall appearance of a bottle, yet being made fully of cardboard, or a fusion between a cardboard sleeve and a plastic top comprising an opening device. Two examples of the latter would be Tetra Top™ and Tetra Evero Aseptic™ by the present applicant.
One type of secondary packaging uses a tray in which a base end of the primary packages is arranged, and an insert localizing a top end of the packages.
The present disclosure relates to an improved secondary packaging of using a tray and insert.
According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a secondary packaging comprises a tray for localizing a base end of primary packages and an insert for localizing a top end of primary packages, characterized in that the insert is punched.
In one or more embodiments, the insert further comprises recesses for improved localization of the top end of the primary packages, preferably one recess for each primary package.
In one or several embodiments, the insert further comprises tabs for localisation of the insert in relation to a top end of the primary packages. Each tab has one end pivotally attached to the insert and a free end.
In one or more embodiments, the tab is formed in one piece with the insert. In one or more related embodiments the tabs are configured to be arranged in a position normal to a main surface of the insert. In this way, if the tabs are bent towards the top of the primary packages the extension of the tabs may be used to align the insert in relation to the very top end of the packages. The bent tabs may also increase the contact area between the insert and the primary packages thus improving the distribution of any load.
In any embodiment the secondary packaging may be complimented with a wrap, such as a shrink wrap, ensuring the integrity of the secondary packaging. The wrap will also align the free end of the tab with the top end of a primary package. According to another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an insert according to the above or below description is disclosed. The insert may be used in combination with the tray as disclosed or in combination with any other tray, or even without a tray.
Still another aspect involves a method for manufacturing a secondary packaging according to any previous or following description. In particular such a method may include punching an insert from a tray. The method may also comprise punching the tray from a larger piece of material, as well as folding the sides of the tray to make it more adapted to localize and protect the base end of primary packages arranged therein.
A secondary packaging comprising a tray and an insert, wherein the tray is configured to localize a lower end of primary packages and the insert is configured to localize an upper end of the primary packages, wherein the insert is formed from cutout material of the tray.
The insert may comprise recesses for localizing an upper end of the primary packages.
The insert may comprise tabs formed in one piece with the insert, wherein the tabs has a free end and are pivotally associated with the insert.
The tabs may be arranged in recesses for localizing an upper end of the primary packages.
The tabs may be positioned to, in a use position, engage the primary packages.
The tabs may be positioned to engage a neck or an opening device of the primary packages.
An insert for use in a secondary packaging may comprise recesses for localizing an upper end of primary packages and pivotable tabs for localizing the insert in relation to the upper end of the primary packages.
According to another aspect, the disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a secondary packaging having a tray for localizing a lower end of primary packages and an insert for localizing an upper end of primary packages, said method comprising: providing a piece of raw material, cutting the insert from the raw material, thus forming a cutout in the raw material, forming the tray from an area of the raw material comprising the cutout.
According to one or more embodiments the insert may be maintained positioned in the cutout of the tray in a transportation step, for later separation.
In one or more embodiments the insert may be separated from the tray, either before or after having transported the secondary packaging to a location in which it will be used for its ultimate purpose.
Another aspect involves a method that comprises: removing an insert from cardboard material to result in the insert made of the cardboard material and a tray made of the cardboard material, with the tray made of the cardboard material including a through hole produced by the removing of the insert; positioning a plurality of primary packages on the tray so that at least a part of a bottom surface of a body portion of each of the primary packages overlies a portion of the through hole in the tray, with each of the primary packages also including an upper portion positioned above the bottom surface; and positioning the insert so that portions of the insert engage the upper portion of respective ones of the primary packages so that the insert localizes the upper portions of the primary packages.
In the present embodiment the tray 100 is provided with sub panels, 102, 104, 106, 108, which may be separated from a main body of the tray 100 by means of creasing lines or “weakening lines” indicated by dotted lines in
Turning to the insert 200, it may be described as having a rectangular shape in a central body 202 and being provided with recesses 204 or cutouts. A purpose of the recesses 204 is to localize or position the neck of a primary package, such as the neck of a bottle. In one or more of the recesses 204, preferably though not necessarily all, a tab 206 is arranged. The tab 206 is readily formed during the manufacturing process. Each tab 206 has a free end and a weakening line may be arranged at the end which is connected to the central body 202. For the sake of simplicity it is preferred that the tabs 206 are formed in the same piece with the central body 202. The weakening line, also indicated by a dotted line, helps the tab 206 to pivot, and though it is not absolutely crucial it does add to the functionality of the tab 206, and as such it ensures a reliable function. A length of the tab 206 is defined as the extension from the free end to the pivot axis (the weakening line if there is one). The length of the tabs 206, as will be explained in relation to
In
In the view of
A suitable material for the secondary packaging is cardboard or any similar material, and for the wrap any material commonly used as shrink wrap may be used.
It should be appreciated that the present disclosure has the purpose of explaining a few examples of the present invention in order to enable for the skilled person to practise it within the full scope. The fact that not all possible embodiments and uses have not been disclosed should not be interpreted as limiting for the scope of the present disclosure as defined only by the claims in the form they may have. For example, the disclosed position of the tabs results in a number of effects. This does not remove the fact that one or more tabs arranged at other positions, instead or in combination with the original tabs, may result in part of the same effects. The fact that cardboard is the only material explicitly mentioned does not remove the possibilities of using other materials having suitable properties. “Suitable properties” may in this respect refer to rigidity, stiffness, durability, cost, etc. Furthermore, the drawings only illustrate an example with six primary packages, yet it does not exclude examples having 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 . . . etc primary packages from the scope of the claims.
Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms “a”, “an”, “first”, “second” etc do not preclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1351495.5 | Dec 2013 | SE | national |
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/103,746 filed on Jun. 10, 2016, which is a U.S. National Stage application based on International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2014/076857 filed on Dec. 8, 2014, which claims priority to Swedish Application No. 1351495-5 filed on Dec. 13, 2013, the entire content of all three of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15103746 | Jun 2016 | US |
Child | 15892112 | US |